Sawhorse bracket assembly

ABSTRACT

A support bracket for use in the assembly of the rail and legs of a sawhorse comprising a plate including a generally triangularly shaped face having flanges angularly disposed rearwardly to form sides and means formed rigid with the face and cooperating with the sides to locate the sawhorse legs. A slot in the upper portion of the face receives the rail and is formed with sides converging toward the bottom to provide a biting contact when said rail is driven into place. The support bracket also has a means for facilitating a nesting feature for convenient packaging in sets of two or more.

United States Patent Md. [21] Appl. No. 76,692 [22] Filed Sept. 30, 1970 [45] Patented (73] Assignee Dec. 14, 1971 The Black and Decker Manufacturing Company Towson, Md.

[54] SAWHORSE BRACKET ASSEMBLY 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 182/224, 248/248 1511 Int. Cl ..ll l6m 11/00, EO4g 1 32 [50] Field 01 Search 182/181,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,330,766 9/1943 Walstrom 182/224 2,736,614 2/1956 Brewster 182/185 1,953,012 3/1934 Gerrard. 182/185 2,647,803 8/1953 Bohm r 182/224 3,480,111 11/1969 Larson 182/224 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorneys Leonard Bloom, Joseph R. Slotnik and Edward D.

Murphy ABSTRACT: A support bracket for use in the assembly of the rail and legs of a sawhorse comprising a plate including a generally triangularly shaped face having flanges angularly disposed rcarwardly to form sides and means formed rigid with the face and cooperating with the: sides to locate the sawhorse legs. A slot in the upper portion of the face receives the rail and is formed with sides converging toward the bottom to provide a biting contact when said rail is driven into place. The support bracket also has a means for facilitating a nesting feature for convenient packaging in sets of two or more.

Patented Dec. 14, 1971 3,627,075

INVEN'IOR: SHERWOOD G. ENDERS AVRA SAWHGRSE BRACKET ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally, sawhorses include an elongated rail supported adjacent opposite ends by legs arranged in A-frame fashion. This invention relates to a bracket for interconnecting the legs and rail of these sawhorses or like structure, and more particularly to a bracket construction using duplicate metal plates in the assembly, to hold the rail and legs of a sawhorse in a fixed relationship.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A main object of the present invention, therefor, is to provide an improved support bracket for a sawhorse assembly having a securing means for the rail member which includes a biting connection which affords greater rigidity to the overall structure.

Further important objects are to provide an improved support bracket having angularly disposed sides which provide a guide means for the legs of the sawhorse and supplemental disposed portions that cooperate with the sides to form locating and limit means for the legs within the brackets prior to the installation of suitable fasteners.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support bracket having features incorporated that facilitate the nesting of duplicate brackets to form an appealing and compact package.

A final object of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein to to provide a support bracket for a sawhorse assembly that will accommodate any standard-size piece of lumber having a nominal thickness, for example, 2 inches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS F IG. I is a partial perspective view of a sawhorse embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the sawhorse illustrated in FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear side of the support bracket of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial section of the rear side of the support bracket and showing the rail and legs in assembled position;

FIG. 5 is a frontal perspective view showing the support brackets in nested relation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 1 generally designates a sawhorse or like structure comprising a rail member 2 secured to a leg assembly t which includes a pair of legs 3 and support brackets 110. Four brackets are required for a sawhorse assembly and since the brackets are identical, only one will be described in detail in the following text.

The support bracket llil, shown in the drawing as embodying the invention, is formed of a one-piece stamped construction. The support bracket Ml comprises a generally triangularly shaped faceplate 12 having a pair of outer side flanges M and a pair of inner side flanges 16 extending rearwardly therefrom and which form two sets of flanges spaced to receive the nominal thickness of a leg member 3. A pair of tabs 18 are lanced from the face 112 and extend rearwardly therefrom and are aligned with respective ones of the flanges 16 to provide a guiding means for the legs 3 during the assembly process and afford additional stability to the legs 3 when the sawhorse is in actual use. A pair of tab stops 20, also lanced from the face M, are positioned between respective sets of the flanges M, llti, 18 so as to limit the travel of the legs 3 inwardly of the bracket 10 and further, to give supplemental bearing support to the legs 3 when the sawhorse is supporting a workpiece.

The upper portion of the faceplate 112 has a slot 22 formed therein having sides 24 which converge toward the bottom to provide a dimension less than the nominal thickness of the rail member 2. Extending forwardly from the faceplate 112 and forming the effective bottom of the slot 22 is a shelf portion 26. The tab stops 20 and the shelf portion 26 form a cooperative relationship for a purpose to be described.

The upper portion of the faceplate 112 is further provided with integrally formed, rearwardly extending flange portions 2%] on either side of the slot 22. The flanges 23 are bent upwardly and slightly inwardly at the mouth of the slot 22 to form rail tabs 30.

lln FIGS. 3 and 5 which show the elements of the support bracket lift, it can be seen that the faceplate R2, the outer side flange M, the shelf portion 26, and the rail tabs 33 are suitably provided with apertures 32 for receiving fasteners 33 for securing the brackets it) to the rail 2. and legs 3.

The construction of a sawhorse utilizing the invention will be readily understood in view of the above description. Two legs 3 are placed endwise on a flat work surface in the form of an A-frame shape which approximates the angle established by the support bracket 110. The bracket W is placed over one side of the end portions of the legs 3 so that each leg is firmly seated between one of the flanges M and its associated flange lb and tab 18, and the upper end of each leg 3 is urged into abutment with a respective one of the tab stops 2th. At this point suitable fasteners 33, which may be nails or screws, are driven through the apertures 32 and into the respective legs 3. The partial assembly of the legs 3 and one support bracket lltl is then turned over and another bracket lltll is secured to the opposite side of the legs 3 in the aforedescribed manner, taking care not to bend the shelf portion 26; this completes one leg assembly 3 and the second leg assembly (not shown) for the other end of the sawhorse, is constructed in exactly the same manner.

The leg assemblies are then placed in an upright position and properly spaced to receive the rail member 2 adjacent its ends, this rail member 2 having been precut to a suitable length. The edge of the rail is then pressed downwardly between the rail tabs 30 of both leg assemblies 41 until the lower edges of the rail 1 engage the converging sides 24 of the slots 22. At this juncture, the rail 2 is then hammered downwardly the remaining distance until it is firmly seated against the shelf member 26 of both leg assemblies 4i. Suitable fasteners 33 are then driven into the sides and bottom of the rail 2 through apertures 32 provides in rail tabs 30 and shelf members 265, thereby completing the assembly of a sawhorse l.

FIG. 4 illustrates a completed joint in the assembly of the sawhorse ll wherein the sides 2d of the slot 22 have cut into the bottom edge of the rail 2 after the aforesaid hammering operation. it will be further noted that when the rail 2 is firmly in place against the upper surface of the shelf member 26, the lower corners of the rail 2 are in engagement with the upper ends of the legs 3. The tab stops 20 are so located to properly position the legs 3 to accomplish this hearing feature.

It will be appreciated that a joint constructed in this manner, i.e. wherein the edges 24 of the bracket Ml are in biting contact with the lower portion of the rail 2, and wherein the corners of the rail 2 engage the ends of the legs 3, will provide a structure having maximum rigidity, strength and loadbearing capacity.

Another feature of this invention provides for the nesting of a plurality of support brackets Ml for convenience in packaging. This is accomplished, as shown in .FlG. 5, by placing the brackets llil front to back whereby side flanges M and top flanges 28 of the forward bracket lltl) overlay these flanges of the succeeding bracket Ml, and whereby the edges of the rearwardly directed tabs lid and tab stops 2% of the forward bracket engage the front face of the succeeding bracket M). An elongated aperture llll is formed in the face ill of each bracket to receive the protruding shelf 26 of a succeeding bracket it). Further, the rail tabs 3b are bent slightly inward when the bracket llil is originally formed as a contribution to the nestable feature as seen in FlG. 3. When a plurality of brackets llfl are in nested position, a stairway effect is presented.

ln summation, a sawhorse-supporting bracket has been described herein which includes an inexpensive design particularly adapted for prolonged life and convenience in packaging; wherein in use the supporting bracket is readily attached to the supporting members (rail and legs) to form a sturdy structure; and wherein the rail member is further connected to the support brackets in addition to the nonnal fasteners.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of our support brackets without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms or structure or mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included I within their scope.

We claim:

1. A support bracket for use in the assembly of the rail and legs of a sawhorse, comprising a plate member including a generally triangularly shaped face having side flanges angularly disposed rearwardly thereof, projection means extending rearwardly from said face less than said side flanges and cooperating with said side flanges to form locating means for said legs, a slot formed in the upper portion of said face to receive said rail, rail tabs adjacent the upper end of said slot and having means for attachment to said rail, said rail tabs converging in an upward direction, whereby a plurality of brackets can be nested in substantial face-to-face relation with the side flanges and rail tabs of adjacent brackets overlaying one another and the projection means of one bracket abutting the face of an adjacent bracket.

2. A bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein said slot converges toward the bottom, thereby providing a biting contact with said rail when driven into said slot.

3. A bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein said projection means includes at least two projections generally parallel to respective ones of said side flanges, and at least two projections disposed on opposite sides of said slot in general alignment with the bottom thereof, whereby to limit entry of said legs.

4. A support bracket for use in the assembly of the rail and legs of the sawhorse comprising a plate member including a generally triangularly shaped face having side flanges angularly disposed rearwardly thereof, projection means between said side flanges extending rearwardly from said face less than said side flanges and cooperating with said side flanges to form locating means for said legs a slot formed in the upper portion of said face to receive said rail, a shelf formed integral with said face, and extending forwardly thereof at the base of said slot and having means for attachment to said rail, said face having an aperture therein beneath said shelf dimensioned larger than the cross section of said shelf, whereby a plurality of brackets can be nested in substantial face-to-face relation with the side flanges of adjacent brackets overlying one another, with the projection means on one bracket abutting the face of an adjacent bracket, and with the shelf on the adjacent bracket extending through the aperture of the one bracket.

5. A bracket as defined in claim 4 which includes upwardly converging rail tabs adjacent the upper end of said slot and having means for attachment to said rail, said rail tabs on said one bracket adapted to overlay the rail tabs on said adjacent bracket when said brackets are nested in substantial face-toface relation. 

1. A support bracket for use in the assembly of the rail and legs of a sawhorse, comprising a plate member including a generally triangularly shaped face having side flanges angularly disposed rearwardly thereof, projection means extending rearwardly from said face less than said side flanges and cooperating with said side flanges to form locating means for said legs, a slot formed in the upper portion of said face to receive said rail, rail tabs adjacent the upper end of said slot and having means for attachment to said rail, said rail tabs converging in an upward direction, whereby a plurality of brackets can be nested in substantial face-to-face relation with the side flanges and rail tabs of adjacent brackets overlaying one another and the projection means of one bracket abutting the face of an adjacent bracket.
 2. A bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein said slot converges toward the bottom, thereby providing a biting contact with said rail when driven into said slot.
 3. A bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein said projection means includes at least two projections generally parallel to respective ones of said side flanges, and at least two projections disposed on opposite sides of said slot in general alignment with the bottom thereof, whereby to limit entry of said legs.
 4. A support bracket for use in the assembly of the rail and legs of the sawhorse comprising a plate member including a generally triangularly shaped face having side flanges angularly disposed rearwardly thereof, projection means between said side flanges extending rearwardly from said face less than said side flanges and cooperating with said side flanges to form locating means for said legs, a slot formed in the upper portion of said face to receive said rail, a shelf formed integral with said face, and extending forwardly thereof at the base of said slot and having means for attachment to said rail, said face having an aperture therein beneath said shelf dimensioned larger than the cross section of said shelf, whereby a plurality of brackets can be nested in substantial face-to-face relation with the side flanges of adjacent brackets overlaying one another, with the projection means on one brAcket abutting the face of an adjacent bracket, and with the shelf on the adjacent bracket extending through the aperture of the one bracket.
 5. A bracket as defined in claim 4 which includes upwardly converging rail tabs adjacent the upper end of said slot and having means for attachment to said rail, said rail tabs on said one bracket adapted to overlay the rail tabs on said adjacent bracket when said brackets are nested in substantial face-to-face relation. 